That cloud thing…

Your Pointy-Haired Boss (PHB) just walked in and said, "We need to do this cloud thing, pronto. I just read about it in CIO Magazine." Pop quiz, hot shot: what do you do?

Protecting Against PBH Syndrome
Fortunately we have a solution to help you ramp on the cloud with practically no friction whatsoever. For those that don't know, Windows Azure is Microsoft's cloud platform and a lot of developers are excited to try it out. To help you try it out, we have started a program called "Windows Azure Pass." You basically register a Live ID for a Pass and receive 30 days of free cloud computing. That's just enough time to download the Windows Azure Platform Training Kit (WAPTK) and test drive some of the hands-on labs. The best part about Windows Azure Pass is that no credit card is required. So preempt your PHB storming and forming around the cloud before you're ready. Get ready on the cloud today.

Sounds Great, What Do I Do?
Simple. Visit www.WindowsAzurePass.com and enter promo code DPCE01. Your Windows Azure Pass will be activated within a few days and you can start deploying code. Once you get a pass you can attend one of our two day boot camp events to learn more about Windows Azure, try some hands on labs on your own time, or join us online during our office hours to get your questions answered.

Okay, What Exactly Does This Pass Thing Get Me?
The Windows Azure platform 30 day pass includes the following resources:

Windows Azure
3 Small Compute Instances
3 GB of Storage
250,000 Storage Transactions

SQL Azure
Two 1 GB Web Edition Database

AppFabric
100,000 Access Control Transactions
2 Bus Service Connections

Data Transfers
3 GB In
3 GB Out